Oprah’s Love Letter –> Life Lessons

Posted May 26, 2011 by Gina

What an amazing gift Oprah gave us yesterday in her love letter, huh? I knew I’d be sad to see her go, but when I found myself sobbing at the end, I was surprised by the depth of my sadness. It was laced with hope, though, a lining that’s grown exponentially with each minute since her stage lights turned out.

The reason for my sadness became clear to me as I lay in bed last night:

It’s because Oprah’s light is so big, so bright, and there is so much darkness in the world, I wondered how we’d all survive without her positive bolts of lightning. And then it dawned on me, the end was actually an amazing opportunity for the biggest bolt yet. Everyone was listening—a world of devote followers, bored channel surfers, and curious pop culture lovers. She had a captive audience and it was all because she was leaving. With that attention, she channeled her secrets, ones we all needed to hear:

1. “You are not alone. We have each other.”

2. “Wherever you are that is your talk show and that is where your power lies.”

3. “[A calling] lights you up and lets you know you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. Live from the heart of yourself. You have to know what sparks the light in you so you in your own way can illuminate the world.”

4. “Nobody but you is responsible for your life. And what is your life? What is all life? Every flower, rock, tree? Energy. And you’re responsible for the energy that you create for yourself and that you bring to others.”

5. “All the energy you spend trying to hurt someone else will turn around and slap you in the face.”

6. “There is a difference between thinking you deserve to be happy and knowing you are worthy of happiness. We often block our own blessings because we don’t feel smart or pretty or worthy enough. The show’s taught me you’re worthy because you’re born and you’re here. You alone are enough.”

7. “[People] want to know ‘Do you see me, do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you?’ Try it with your children, your husband, your boss — validate them. ‘I see you. I hear you. And what you say matters to me.'”

8. “I know that presence [God], that flow — some call it grace — is working in my life at every single turn. It’s closer than your breath and it’s yours for the asking … You can acknowledge it or not. You can ignore it. Or you can know it… God is love and god is life and your life is always speaking to you.

9. “My hope is you will be a safe harbor for somebody else. Connect, embrace, liberate, love just one person. Then spread that to two and see what a difference that makes.”

10. “There are no coincidences. Only divine order here.”

———-

I realized, pondering these lessons, that they were all bright sparks of power which will continue to illuminate each of us, our society, our world.